Hari Sabarno pledges to repair regional autonomy<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Newly-appointed Minister of Home Affairs Hari
\nSabarno has said the smoothening out of the shaky start of
\nregional autonomy would be one of his primary objectives,
\nincluding ensuring that it would not lead to the breakup of the
\nunitary state.<\/p>\n
\"The main basis of implementing regional autonomy is that it
\ncould lessen the disparity between the regions so they would not
\nleave the Indonesian unitary state,\" Hari said here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Hari knows that the implementation, which was projected to
\nmend many of the ills of the Indonesian state, will occupy much
\nof his attention in office.<\/p>\n
Though it was officially launched on Jan. 1, regional autonomy
\nhas so far produced more questions than answers. There remains
\nconfusion on the extent of authority and jurisdiction regions
\nhave vis-a-vis the central government.<\/p>\n
The main concept of regional autonomy was to provide greater
\nauthority to the regions in the fields of mining, education,
\nmanpower, farming, forest, tax and excise, forestry.<\/p>\n
It was hoped that providing such leeway to regencies and
\nmayoralties, government services to the public could be improved.<\/p>\n
Regional autonomy has also raised alarm as it seems to have
\ninvoked greater regionalistic chauvinism.<\/p>\n
Hari admitted that the new government under President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri is deeply concerned over these rising tendencies.
\nHe hinted that this was among the reasons why the government is
\namending the 1999 laws on autonomy and on fiscal balance.<\/p>\n
\"The government has noted that certain regions rich in natural
\nresources have issued rules to help them boost their own revenue
\nas high as possible, there seems to be a hidden mission to
\nseparate from the unitary state some time in the future,\" he
\nwarned.<\/p>\n
The government's stance should not come as a surprise, as
\nPresident Megawati comes from a strong nationalist background
\nwhile Vice President Hamzah Haz had repeatedly lamented the
\ncourse that regional autonomy had taken.<\/p>\n
Hari on Wednesday contended that rich regions should not leave
\ntheir poorer neighbors behind.<\/p>\n
\"All regions should achieve progress with a sense of
\ntogetherness. We don't want rich regions to be richer and poor
\nones to remain poor,\" he argued.<\/p>\n
\"This is why the government is trying to revise laws on
\nautonomy and fiscal balance,\" said Hari, who takes over the post
\nat the home ministry from Maj. Gen. (ret.) Surjadi Sudirdja.<\/p>\n
Hari continues the monopoly that military personnel have had
\nat this strategic post.<\/p>\n
Hari also argued that regional autonomy was aimed at improving
\npublic social welfare and to encourage all regions to develop in
\nall fields.<\/p>\n
Hari, a retired Army lieutenant general, said the government
\nwould also review the recent establishment of new provinces and
\nregions suggesting that some may have been created merely to
\nprovide new positions.<\/p>\n
\"The Advisory Council for Regional Autonomy (DPOD) that I am
\nchairing will review the recent establishment of new mayoralties,
\nregencies and provinces to cope with regional and provincial
\ndisparity,\" he said, without identifying which new regencies or
\nprovinces would be assessed.<\/p>\n
At least five new provinces and dozens of regencies have been
\nestablished in the past two years. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hari-sabarno-pledges-to-repair-regional-autonomy-1447893297",
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